This invention relates to foundation leveling piers, and more particularly to a pier which is permanently installed to maintain the foundation of a building in a level condition.
In many areas of the country, houses and similar buildings are constructed either on a concrete slab or by means of the pier and beam construction method. In either event, damage to the structure is sometimes encountered, such as cracks in brick walls, separation of the wall from windows, doors, etc. It is then necessary to level the foundation of the structure in order to close the cracks or separations.
At the present time, the leveling procedure involves the use of a jack to raise the appropriate portion of the foundation and thereby close the crack or separation. A concrete pier is then formed beneath the foundation to retain the foundation and the walls supported thereby in their leveled condition. In some instances a wooden beam or a length of pipe is used to support the structure while the concrete hardens, thereby permitting removal of the jack much sooner than would otherwise be possible. It will be appreciated that this procedure does not permit readjustment of the leveling operation should it become necessary.
The present invention relates to a foundation leveling pier which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties long since associated with the prior art. In accordance with the invention, a pier comprises opposed end plates each having aligned pipe sections extending therefrom. A plurality of bolts are secured to one of the end plates and extend through the pipe sections thereof into the pipe sections of the other end plate. A plurality of nuts are threadedly received on the bolts and are positioned between the pipe sections of the two end plates. The nuts are utilized to position the end plates with respect to each other.
In the practice of the invention, a reinforced concrete pad is formed at an appropriate location under a beam comprising part of a foundation to be leveled. The foundation is then raised by means of a jack, after which the pier of the present invention is positioned between the concrete pad and the beam. The pier is then adjusted to maintain the foundation in the leveled condition. If subsequent readjustment of the leveling operation is necessary, the jack is again used to maintain such readjustment, after which the pier is utilized to maintain the foundation in the readjusted condition.